Second Collection of Good Practices. Education for Sustainable Development

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2 Second Collection of Good Practices Education for Sustainable Development UNESCO Associated Schools 2009

3 The designations employed and the presentation of materials throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country or territory, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Coordination of the publication: Amina Hamshari. Graphic Design: Jacques Zahles, HEXA Graphic Photos: ASPnet, Amina Hamshari, Livia Saldari. Cover page photo: Mille balais project/burkina Faso UNESCO/ASPnet. All Rights reserved UNESCO. Printed on recycled paper in 2009 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7 place de Fontenoy, Paris 07 SP, France UNESCO 2009 ED-2009/WS/11 2

6 Preface This is an era in which some 1 billion people live in poverty while the majority of the world s wealth is in the hands of just a few people. This is a time of considerable turbulence and instability a time of financial and economic crisis, and social upheaval as well as persistent ecological degradation, global warming and the rampant consumption of finite resources. As the current crisis is likely to affect everyone, it is time to anticipate possibilities for profound transformation, toward more inclusive societies, more equitable growth and more responsible behaviours of consumption. Hence, it is extremely refreshing, encouraging and enlightening to see the enthusiasm and the dynamic creativity of the significant UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) Good Practices recently conducted in support of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) As we are about to complete the first half of this crucial Decade, the collection of the ASPnet ESD Good Practices is timely and helpful. It presents, in a concise and illustrated way, a multitude of educational approaches developed in favour of sustainability. Pages and pages have been written about the concept and definition of sustainable development. This publication does not go into any lengthy explanations of what it is or what it should be. It is rather based on the simple definition of a woman who first coined this term. As Chairperson of the United Nations International Commission on Development and the Environment, Gro Bruntland (Norway) made an appeal for sustainable development i.e. development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This statement, so simple in its essence, yet so challenging to put into practice, has come a long way since it was first pronounced in It could have been just another countless declaration, another intention of high ideals. It could have been shelved like many other noble appeals. However, the call for sustainable development is too closely linked to our livelihoods, to our well-being and to our very survival on this planet to be ignored or neglected. It had to emerge as a top priority in all future strategies worldwide to plan, to develop and to educate. That is what provoked the United Nations General Assembly to declare the DESD and, five years into the Decade, there is now general agreement that education for sustainable development (ESD) has to be an integral part of quality Education for All (EFA) as defined in the Dakar Framework for Action (goal number six). Ministries of Education worldwide are currently examining how to introduce and reinforce this vital dimension throughout the curricula, in the training of teachers, in extra-curricular activities and in non-formal education. There is pressure to take urgent measures. Where to start? What is the best approach? What can we learn from the ASPnet collection of DESD Good Practices? How can the Network serve as a pathfinder to help us to find our way in the labyrinth of educating for sustainable development? 5

7 Preface First, this Collection reminds us that ESD is not just for some schools in some countries, it is not reserved for upper secondary schools or institutions of higher education. This publication reveals that ESD is for all schools and all learning settings in highly industrialized counties as well as emerging economies, in highly populated states as well as small island countries, in public schools and private institutions, and in rural and urban settings. It reminds us that ESD has to start as early as possible, and that preschools and primary schools have particularly prominent and effective roles to play, just as do teacher-training institutions. Second, this publication shows that it is relatively easy to ensure a holistic and interdisciplinary approach in educating for sustainability. By conducting projects, similar to those conducted by UNESCO Associated Schools, children and young people can gain a sound knowledge base, practical skills and competencies as well as new values, attitudes and behaviour that will improve their lifestyles, their environments and future prospects. Third, this collection stresses the essential role of teachers. As the economic situation in many countries is worsening, the position of teachers is also becoming increasingly vulnerable and more demanding. Yet, in spite of difficult conditions, the ASPnet Good Practices reveal that many teachers have now moved forward into the driving seat; they are becoming the real agents of change who are so badly needed if sustainable development is to become a reality rather than a mere aspiration. Principals and teachers are investing their time, energy and often their own resources to enable children and young people to understand and appreciate the value of sustainability and to become main actors and defenders of sustainable development, now and hopefully into the future. In brief, ASPnet projects put into practice the three Is initiate, innovate and integrate ESD in classroom learning as well as in out-of-school and extracurricular activities. Last but not least, education policy-makers are invited to take into account ASPnet s formidable contributions made at local, national, regional and international levels in applying the three Rs of education for the twenty-first century to Rethink, Reorient and Reassess education in the light of ensuring a sustainable future for all. Aline Bory-Adams Chief of the DESD Coordination Section UNESCO Sigrid Niedermayer ASPnet International Coordinator UNESCO 6

8 The UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) Shortly after the founding of UNESCO, the Organization put into place (in 1953) its Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet). The purpose of the Network is to serve as an international laboratory for exploring, experimenting and taking to scale new educational practices that reinforce the humanistic, ethical and international dimensions of education. In brief, ASPnet strives to translate the principles and priorities of UNESCO, the United Nations and some of the other Specialized Agencies and UN bodies (e.g. FAO, WHO, UNEP, UNICEF) into concrete learning approaches and outcomes by taking into account the four pillars of learning for the twenty-first century 1 : learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together. ASPnet was set up to have a multiplier effect through the systematic diffusion of its innovative educational resource materials such as its Tolerance Posters and its Peace Pack produced for elementary school teachers, its World Heritage Education Kit for secondary schools and its Good Practices. Over the decades, the Network has grown in size and has kept pace with the evolving issues and concerns addressed by the international community. It produced educational resource material on the plight of indigenous peoples. Associated Schools served as a test group for an educational kit on the alarming trend of desertification. ASPnet helped to produce preventive education resource material on HIV and AIDS. Associated Schools facilitated the launching of the Mondialogo School Contest for Intercultural Dialogue (sponsored by both UNESCO and Daimler) and contributed to its three successful rounds ( ). Mondialogo 2008 Symposium participants in Beijing, China Mondialogo UNESCO Associated Schools are committed to contributing to the quality of education as advocated by the Education for All (EFA) Dakar Framework for Action and to reaching the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Around the world, ASPnet has been mobilized to assume its pilot role in helping to show the way towards new and rapid paths of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and to the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) J. Delors et al., Learning: the Treasure Within, Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, UNESCO Publishing: 1996 (http://www.unesco.org/delors) 7

9 Education for Sustainable Development in practice in schools The second publication of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) Good Practices 2 presents a sampling of some of ASPnet s pioneering and innovative initiatives taken in support of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, ). Experiments in Cameroun Terrassed agricultural fields, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile Jair Torres It is important to keep in mind that, at the time of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, Sweden, 1972), relatively few people were concerned about the state of our planet Earth. However, shortly after that Conference and the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya), the theme man and the environment was added in 1975 as one of the four topics for ASPnet activities, which has now become education for sustainable development 3. In preparation for the UN Conference on Development and the Environment (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992), twenty years after Stockholm, UNESCO s Associated Schools conducted pilot projects in support of environmental and development education, through an international contest. This Contest and the Rio Conference proved to be a turning point for mobilizing ASPnet in support of Agenda 21 4 and its emphasis on education for environmental protection and harmonious development. As we know, the Rio Conference, often referred to as the Earth Summit, advocated and endorsed the new concept of sustainable development calling for development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Our Common Future, Report of the United Nations International Commission on Development and the Environment, 1987). Associated Schools started to work on this new dimension of sustainability. Ten years later, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002) called for an International Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. The United Nations General Assembly declared the ESD Decade for the years , and ASPnet schools were already prepared, ready and willing to contribute at both local and global levels! As indicated in a presentation prepared by UNESCO-Nairobi and UNEP in , the WSSD Johannesburg Plan of Implementation identified two key aspects of ESD: 1. Education is the foundation for sustainable development and much of the work on ESD must be closely linked to the pursuit of Education for All (EFA). Schoolgirls in China 2- The First Collection of ASPnet Good Practices for Quality Education (see Useful resources on p. 67), was published in The three other major themes proposed to ASPnet schools for conducting quality education projects are: World concerns and the role of the UN system; Peace and Human rights; and Intercultural Education. 4- The full text of Agenda 21 was revealed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro on 14 June, 1992, where 172 governments voted to adopt the programme. 5- See on 8

10 Education for Sustainable Development in practice in schools 2. Education is a key instrument for bringing about changes in values and attitudes, skills, behaviours and lifestyles consistent with sustainable development within and among countries. Thus, ESD is a tool for addressing such questions as gender equality, environmental protection (including water education), climate change, biodiversity, rural development, human rights, health care (including HIV and AIDS) and responsible and sustainable consumption as these interact with the sustainable development agenda. The concept of sustainable development continues to evolve, encompassing key areas such as society, environment and economy, with culture as an underlying dimension: - Society: an understanding of social institutions and their role in change and development, as well as the democratic and participatory systems - Environment: an awareness of the resources and fragility of the physical environment and the effects on it of human activity and decisions - Economy: a sensitivity to the limits and potential of economic growth and their impact on society and on the environment, with a commitment to assess personal and societal levels of consumption out of concern for the environment and for social justice. Furthermore, the values, diversity, knowledge, languages and world views associated with Culture, influence the way ESD issues are dealt with, in specific national contexts. In this sense, culture is not just a collection of particular manifestations (song, dance, dress, etc.), but a way of being, relating, behaving, believing and acting which people live out in their lives; it is in a constant process of change and exchange with other cultures. ESD is fundamentally about values, with respect at the centre: respect for others, including those of present and future generations, for difference and diversity, for the environment, and for the resources of the planet we inhabit. Education enables us to understand ourselves and others, and our links with the wider natural and social environment, and this understanding serves as a durable basis for building respect. Along with a sense of justice, responsibility, exploration and dialogue, ESD aims to move us to adopting behaviours and practices that enable all to live a full life without being deprived of basics. ESD mirrors the concern for education of high quality, encouraging a holistic interdisciplinary approach. ESD is to be embedded in the whole curriculum, not as a separate subject. It should be locally relevant, stimulate critical thinking and encourage the use of problem solving techniques. Furthermore, in order to create ESD programmes all sectors of the education community need to work together in a cooperative manner. Formal education (i.e., primary, secondary, post-secondary and higher education) should work closely with traditional partners from the non-formal education sector. Teacher and her pupils in Si Saket Province, Thailand 2006 Connelly La Mar, Courtesy of Photoshare Tatio geysers, Desert of Atacama, Chile UNESCO/Francisco Cintra Baby calf born on an organic farm The International Implementation Scheme of the DESD (see p. 67) reinforces the need for reorienting existing education programmes: Creating a more sustainable future will not occur simply by increasing the amount of education; instead, it is an issue of content and relevance. Questioning, rethinking, and revising education from pre-school through university to include more principles, knowledge, skills, 9

11 Education for Sustainable Development in practice in schools perspectives and values related to sustainability in each of the three realms environment, society, and economy is important to our current and future societies. This should be done in a holistic and interdisciplinary context, engaging society at large, but carried out by individual nations in a locally relevant and culturally appropriate manner ( ) More comprehensive educational tools focusing on the skills inherent in critical thinking and rational decision-making are necessary to build a citizenry capable of thinking through some of the more complex sustainability issues that face communities and nations ( ) No universal models of ESD exist. While there is overall agreement on principles of sustainability and supporting concepts, there will be nuanced differences according to local contexts, priorities, and approaches. Each country has to define its own sustainability and education priorities and actions. Children's Club ESD activities in France Club Mouriscot, Biarritz Old man in Nizwa, Oman Schoolteacher in her classroom in Kenya 2007 Sean Hawkey, Courtesy of Photoshare The Decade pursues the global vision of a world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation. An international decade such as the DESD serves as a framework within which diverse and multiple actors pursue a shared agenda based on their commitment to the central vision. A wealth of literature has already been published on the ESD Decade. This publication does therefore not repeat what has already been said, stated and defined. However, it does include a bibliography of pertinent reports, papers and documents as well as relevant websites (see Useful resources on p.67). The main purpose of this Collection of Good Practices is to show how ESD is being introduced and actually put into practice in different parts of the world through the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet), in support of the DESD. When the UNESCO Secretariat invited ASPnet National Co-ordinators to submit Good Practices for eventual inclusion in this publication, hundreds of projects were received. It was of course not possible to publish all of them and therefore a selection had to be made, using criteria such as geographical representation, level of schools, innovativeness and potential to take to scale, and relevance to the DESD. Part 1 of this publication presents ESD pedagogical approaches developed by Associated Schools at the grassroots level, the vast majority being public, State-run The ultimate goal of the Decade is that education for sustainable development must be more than just a slogan. It must be a concrete reality for all of us individuals, organization, governments in all our daily decisions and actions, so as to promise a sustainable planet and a safer world to our children, our grandchildren and their descendants. The principles of sustainable development must find themselves in children's schooling, higher education, non-formal education and communitybased learning activities. This means that education will have to change so that it addresses the social, economic, cultural and environmental problems that we face in the twenty first century UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, International Launch of DESD New York, 1 March 2005 institutions. Part 2 offers an insight as to how ASPnet is contributing to the DESD at the sub-regional, regional and international levels. ASPnet has a mission to translate the ideals and programme priorities of the UN and UNESCO into concrete and effective educational approaches. The Network is playing a 10

12 Education for Sustainable Development in practice in schools leading role in contributing to achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and the EFA goals. Another special characteristic of this Collection is that it promotes the link between ESD and quality education for the third millennium. By examining the ASPnet Good Practices in support of the DESD, one can further observe how these initiatives help to contribute to: Making education more relevant and meaningful Building partnerships in support of sustainable development Developing capacity-building both inside and outside the classroom Improving the teaching-learning process. Madinat al-zahra, Cordoba, Spain These same issues are on the Agenda of the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (Bonn, Germany, 31 March to 2 April 2009). Let us take a closer look, learn some valuable lessons and forge ahead. So much is at stake; no more time can be lost. 11

13 Executive Summary: ESD Success Stories This second collection of ASPnet good practices for quality education takes stock of some of the contributions being made by UNESCO Associated Schools in support of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). Let us travel to learn about projects conducted by schools in all parts of the world: from the heart of Africa to near the Arctic circle, from the Far East to the Middle East, and from the Caribbean to the centre of the Pacific. "Stand Up Campaign" for MDGs at the St Michael's School, Dominican Republic This voyage promises a valuable insight on the enormous capacity of these UNESCO ASPnet schools urban or rural, big or small, well-staffed and equipped or with very little resources to take initiatives in favour of the DESD. In the vast majority of cases, their action was not isolated. It went beyond their classrooms and beyond the walls of their schools. Students and teachers reached out to families and local communities, to other schools in their vicinity, in their country and sometimes even to schools beyond their borders and continents. What do we have to gain from such a trip to so many places? As educational planners, policy-makers, educators, principals and teachers, what has this collection of ASPnet good practices to tell us and where do we go from here? One of the 6 million signatures for the "Planet Earth 's Contract", Spain Indien Kogi child, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Jair Torres 1. Identifying common denominators for ESD Our journey testifies, once again, that unity in diversity does exist. Each school is different, each place is unique, and each culture has its own specific characteristics. Yet the educational approaches conceptualized, developed and practised have much in common. All projects had a holistic approach centred on gaining knowledge, acquiring new skills and competencies, and developing new aptitudes, attitudes and behaviour conducive to sustainable development. Projects started out small but many of them grew quickly and reached out to multitudes of others. The contract for planet Earth drafted by a small school in Spain received recognition from His Majesty the King of Spain and 6 million signatures. The school project in Japan not only involved four other Asian countries but benefited from in-puts from two European nations. The Arab States Water Project brought in experts from India and South Africa. ASPnet initiatives do not focus on the short term but lead to learning for the future and throughout life. ASPnet projects are conducted both inside and outside the classroom. They are often embedded in the community, addressing issues of common concern, leading to tangible results and leaving their imprint in both the minds and hearts of children and young people. There might not be a common recipe but the ASPnet good practices have definitely given us some common and essential ingredients. 2. Assuming responsibility for contributing to sustainability We have observed that ESD does not have to entail a complex and sophisticated approach. As in each ASPnet good practice, ESD has to stem from the reality of the locality, of the school s particular situation, and attempt to help meet the challenges 12

14 Executive Summary facing the immediate environment and well-being of the community. In the twentyfirst century, schools can no longer afford the luxury of passivity, of being isolated islands of learning in a sea of turbulent water. Each and every school has to become a pulse-taker and a pro-active partner in achieving sustainability. Like UNESCO Associated Schools, they have to be encouraged to look both within their very walls and out into their milieu, and then decide on what type of action they need to take to assume their responsibility in contributing to a more sustainable and self-reliant life and future. In an effort to share their results with others and accelerate the process of education for sustainable development, projects have also often resulted in new educational resource materials. For example, the Baltic Sea Project has produced seven Learners Guides, an interactive DVD providing learning modules is under preparation as part of the Sandwatch Project and Uzbekistan designed its own DESD manual for teachers. 3. Making education more relevant and more meaningful: Strengthen the link between school and society Education has to stimulate students desire to learn and to explore, to undertake research and analyse the findings, to draw conclusions, and to take responsible action. It has to encourage children and young people to think for themselves and for the good of their communities and countries and the world at large. However, this is not always the case. Drop-out rates from school remain high in many places and the problem of motivated learners persists. Hence, education must become more relevant and more meaningful, and ESD does just that. The ASPnet projects presented indicate not only highly enthusiastic and motivated learners but, by taking part in ESD activities, their scholastic scores have also improved as confirmed by the school in France. Furthermore, ESD relates to the many crucial environmental, economic and social issues facing our societies and to our corresponding cultural contexts. In China, the school developed an interactive activity on school and society focusing on energy saving and emission reduction. ASPnet Good Practices indicate some useful points of entry and somewhat of a consensus of ESD priority topics including: water conservation, more rational use of energy, preserving the environment, halting climate change, selfreliance (affecting the entire school community), empowerment, and improving health and living conditions. In commenting on their participation in the ESD projects, children and young people indicated, time and again, that their education is giving them a new sense of purpose and mission, not only now but for throughout their lives. 4. Building partnerships in support of sustainable development If the world could only become one team, striving for the same goals and for a better life for all, and excluding no one, what a difference it would make. Although we are not yet there, team work is an essential feature, not only on the playing field, but also in the classroom and within and beyond the school. In Thailand, students went out in teams to produce their environmental map indicating areas needing attention as well as those which already have a green effect. But even team work does not suffice in the twenty-first century. Schools and learning require partnerships, particularly in their communities and respective countries. The ASPnet good practices illustrate a wide range of partnerships including those with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, municipal authorities, public institutions, government bodies, research centres, foundations, UNESCO Clubs, the media, and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), such as UNESCO. Just one school in South Africa formed three different Adapted teaching manual and exercise book on ESD in Uzbekistan Chinese student participating in the Mondialogo Symposium, Beijing 2008 Parents discussing at the School Health Map Seminar, Satri Sri Suriyothai school, Thailand 13

15 Executive Summary partnerships: with an orphanage, a home for the elderly and a camp for squatters. These partnerships have become a necessity for creating the synergy needed between learners and experts, between amateurism and professionalism and between mere interest and the empowerment of young people. One of the most often cited partnerships was that with parents calling upon their expertise, helping hands and good will. Examples are numerous including the school farm and garden in Colombia where parents offered their precious time and meagre resources. Some of these ASPnet DESD partnerships have also actually helped to sensitize and inspire other adults, professionals and decision-makers. Discussion between teachers from Wales and Zanzibar Orange trees in Tunisia Planting banana tress in the United Republic of Tanzania 5. Developing capacity-building both inside and outside the classroom In this era of globalization, massive transformations, and prolonged life expectancy, children and young people have to be prepared to face both their present and a constantly changing future. It has already been emphasized that quality education has to lead to life-long learning. The ASPnet good practices have shown us that ESD enables learners to acquire essential skills and competencies which they can not only use immediately but which will also help them to confront the challenges facing them in the near and distant future. By setting up a gender desk in the school in Uganda, students advised and helped their peers on crucial issues facing them, such as HIV and AIDS, drugs, alcohol and environmental degradation. Most projects enabled students to conduct research and apply the findings. Consequently, learners were able to cross the bridge between theory and practice, for instance building a reservoir to store rain water for the school garden and trees in Tunisia. Educators can no longer neglect or underestimate the need to enhance students capacity to use effectively information and communication technologies (ICTs). Such technology has become essential for conducting research, and seeking facts and figures as well as for communicating with other partners, experts and/or their peers elsewhere. The Portuguese students relied heavily on ICTs in creating and developing their virtual sustainable island. In almost all projects students acquired valuable communication and language skills, including the practice of other languages, that are so needed in a rapidly shrinking planet, as exemplified by the Wales/Zanzibar school clusters project to enhance rural livelihoods. Reporting and communicating skills are also essential for striving to have a multiplier effect and raise support for projects. Students in the Palestinian Territories took special time to write articles and report on their water project to the media. Education for sustainable development also calls for problem-solving skills and students gladly responded by recycling, planting palm trees to halt erosion (Cook Islands), making school gardens and selling the produce (United Republic of Tanzania), building their own windmill to save energy at their school (Finland). 6. Improving the teaching-learning process High on the agenda of quality education is the improvement of the teaching-learning process. There is now general agreement that teachers have to become facilitators and students have to become the real actors of the learning process. But how does one put this into practice? Simply through project work! The key to the success of the UNESCO ASPnet has been in its projects and this has been one of the biggest contributions of Associated Schools to quality education for the past 56 years. Similarly, this ASPnet collection of good practices demonstrates that one of the most effective ways to introduce and maintain education for sustainable development is through project work. Such an approach enables teachers to become facilitators, and puts pupils and 14

16 Executive Summary students in the centre of the learning process. ASPnet projects call for a holistic approach and interdisciplinarity which is also an indispensable feature of ESD in view of its many facets and dimensions. Team teaching is badly needed to make relevant linkages between the various subjects and show how they relate to daily life, concerns and solutions. The Lebanese school reported on such an approach in launching their recycling campaign. The Trinidad and Tobago report underlined that it was just not the science teachers who take part in the Sandwatch Project but teachers across the curriculum from poetry to mathematics and from history to wood carving. Learning also has to be both creative and enjoyable, and that is why many of the ASPnet projects emphasized the need to involve students in using and developing their talents and imagination in a variety of forms. Following a visit to an ecological home and farm in Brazil, students were eager to create their own models of ecological homes in harmony with the local environment and sustainability. Another example was the photography contest of natural sites in Oman; it not only gave students a deeper appreciation of the beauty of their country but also enabled them to acquire new skills in both taking and developing photographs, and perhaps orienting them towards new careers. Measuring water quality in Fiji, Sandwatch Project G. Cambers We are aware of the fact that education reform is a long process, requiring considerable research, experimentation, analysis and validation. Therefore, how can we integrate and/or reinforce education for sustainable development in school curricula, in extracurricular activities and in both out-of-school education and nonformal education? The ASPnet good practices have shown us that schools today have developed a capacity to initiate, to innovate and to succeed in bringing the concept of sustainability into the forefront of the learning process. Hence, it is hoped that education policy-makers, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, principals, classroom teachers and parent associations will recognize and provide further support to bringing education for sustainable development into the centre of the learning process. Nizwa, Oman ASPnet was designed to have a multiplier effect. It is hoped that these good practices inspire many other schools to undertake similar projects in favour of the DESD while enhancing quality education and learning throughout life. Stock of tree trunks 15

17 Part 1 ASPnet schools educational approaches developed at the school level Children in Vietnam 2007 Trinh Le Nguyen, Courtesy of Photoshare

18 Africa Mille balais project/burkina Faso UNESCO/ASPnet

19 ASPnet schools educational approaches developed at the school level > Africa Cameroun School: Lycée de Zamengoé (public secondary school) City: Yaoundé Project co-ordinator: Mr Jean-Jacques Kangné Tanouo Experiments at school, Cameroun Protecting Biodiversity in Humid Zones in an Urban Context Background This project was the result of an initiative taken by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs which launched a contest entitled Forum of Youth for Development. Project objective - To enhance the scientific and technical capacity of young people to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and good health in urban areas Project implementation This project entailed conducting research in humid zones on both the protection of biodiversity and improving health conditions in the capital city, Yaoundé. Participation in a video conference with young people from other countries e.g. France, Morocco, Republic of Moldova and Romania at the outset of the project was both stimulating and motivating. Students understood well what was expected of them and were committed to achieving results. For their research, young people visited humid zones in their city. They collected data on water drainage and purification issues, analysed them in a laboratory, discussed results and wrote reports on their findings. A number of activities was conducted using recuperated material including using less wood for home cooking, water purification through the use of solar energy, etc. The research results of the project on biodiversity will be included in a national data bank of Good Pedagogical Practices and is already available as an on-line publication on the website: linked to the Service Culture, Editions, Ressources pour l Education Nationale (SCEREN). Certain challenges were encountered such as managing such a large number of students in just one project, the lack of willingness on the part of community members to accept interviews, the availability of students, the duration of working sessions and the hesitation of the school administration to release students for project work. However, solutions were also found. Tasks were divided up in order to accommodate the maximum of students. Diplomacy was the main tool for encouraging people to agree to be interviewed. School vacations were used for some of the project work. The collaboration of parents was achieved and further explanations were given to school administrators as well as a commitment to produce reports and monitor the project. Project results Conferences and slide projections Participation in a video conference on 2 April 2008 Training of young people in caring for humid zones Various publications: CD-ROM, brochures, booklets and on-line publications (www.zoneshumides-cm.info) Impact of the project The overall assessment of the project was done during a conference held the week of 11 February 2009 (National Youth Week). However, it is already recognized that it has had a major impact on the participating students. They have been able to grasp the issues at stake 18

20 ASPnet schools educational approaches developed at the school level > Africa and to assume leadership qualities for contributing to a sustainable future, and they have developed a much greater sense of responsibility for caring for their immediate environment, and for improving living and health conditions. You can do it too! Over the years UNESCO Associated Schools with means and resources have organized video conferencing with their peers abroad and sometimes even with UNESCO staff at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Such instant and visual communication has always proved to be stimulating and motivating for those concerned and this seemed to be once again the case for this project which benefited from a video conference early in its implementation. Travel abroad remains expensive and impossible for many young people. However, if your school has We feel really much more responsible, and responsible for a problem which up until recently we knew little about We have discovered a part of ourselves and have become more concerned with vital issues facing the world such as the environment, sustainable development and the UN Millennium Goals (MDGs). Germaine Obono (President of the school s Scientific Club) access to the technology required for video conferencing and can help a partner school in another part of the world to have access as well, it can be very motivating and useful in exchanging views and ideas on vital issues of sustainable development while at the same time strengthening intercultural dialogue. Observing biodiversity in Cameroun Reaching out to the less fortunate Background In many societies today there is still either widespread poverty and exclusion or pockets of neglected and disadvantaged people, both young and old. At the foundation of sustainable development lies solidarity, taking an interest in others and the sharing of knowledge, resources, and affection. Project objective To care and share with those who are less fortunate South Africa School: Athlone High School (public secondary) City: Cape Town Project co-ordinator: Ms N. Kriel Project implementation In order to sensitize students to the needs of others and encourage them to lend support, visits were made to three places in the community: an orphanage (the Christine Revell Home), a camp of squatters and a home for the elderly. In each place students demonstrated empathy and solidarity. Under the slogan Think BIG/ACT small, they brought toiletry items for children in the orphanage, they interviewed squatters and listened to their needs and they entertained the elderly with songs and talks. The entire school collected items to be donated. Research was undertaken and comparative charts were produced showing persisting inequalities with regard to gender and social levels. Inspired by a poem The Earth by Chief Seattle, environmental issues were addressed and discussed. Emphasis was placed on health matters and corresponding behaviour, particularly the prevention of HIV and AIDS. The two main problems encountered were time and transportation; the latter was solved by walking the three kilometres to the orphanage and to the squatter camp. 19

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